Elevator for cinder-pits, &amp;c.



4 Sheets-Shaei I.

Patented Apr. I W. ROBERTSON. ELEVATOR FOR CINDEB FITS, 8L0.

(Application filed Mar. 21, 1901.\

(No Model.)

M w m No. 696,49l. Patented Apr. I, I902.

' W. ROBERTSON.

ELEVATOR FOR CINDER PITS, 8w.

(Application filed Ma t. 21, 1901) In: NORRIS PETERS co.. Pnumuwu, wAsmNcYom a Cl N0. 696,49l. Patented Apr, l, I902.

' W. ROBERTSON.

ELEVATOR FOB CINDER PITS, 8w.

- (Application flled Mar. 21, 1901.) (No Model.)

mzyonnfs mus cm. FHOYB-LITHOY, WAsnmsToN, n4 &

N0. 696,49L, Patented Apr. I. I902.

W. RDBEBTSON. ELEVATOR FOR BINDER PITS, 8L0.

(Application filed Mar. 21, 1901.)

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 4,

wanes.

WVILLIAM ROBERTSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ELEVATOR FOR UNDER-PMS, ac.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 696,491, dated April 1, 190.2.

Application filed March 2], 1901. Serial No. 52,150. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM ROBERTSON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Elevators for Oinder Pits or the Like; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon,whicl1 form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in elevators for cinder-pits or the like, and while shown in a form more particularly designed for use in elevating cinders is obviously adapted for many uses other than the removal of cinders from cinder-pits, the invention being equally applicable to the elevation or transportation of any desired material to a place of deposit.

The object of this invention is to provide a simple device easily operated and easily installed and adapted to convey the cinders or other material from the pit or other place where such material'normally accumulates to a distance therefrom, Where the same is automatically dumped at a place of deposit or into a receiving-car.

The invention consists of the matters hereinafter described, and more fully pointed out and defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation, partly broken, of a device embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a section taken on line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the same. Fig. 4 is a bottom plan viewof the same. Fig. 5 is a section taken on line 5 5 of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of a slightly-modified form of elevator-car. Fig. 7 is a section taken on line 7 7 of Fig. 3.

In carrying out my invention a cinder-pit (indicated by A) is provided with a transverse passage opening beneath the trackrail and leadingthereunto, (indicated by a.) Track-rails B B,horizontal in the bottom of the cinder-pit, curve toan inclined position at right angles with the main track, as inclicated in Figs. 1 and 3, and transversely of the track (indicated by O) which, as shown, is at a lower level than the main track. A

cinder-car C is shown in Fig. 1, on said track 0, below the elevated ends of the track-rails B B. Intermediate of the rails B andB is the rail 1), which extends transversely of the pit and to a point above the cinder-car,where the end thereof is turned downwardly, as indicated in Fig. 1.

D indicates the cinder-elevator car. Said cinder-elevator car has, as shown, a length approximately equal to the width between the track-rails of the main track, and may be of any desired width and 'is provided with trucks designed to run on the track-rails B B. The bottom D of said car in the form illustrated in Figs. 1, 4, and 5 is hinged at the rear end of the car and is provided in a median line, longitudinally thereof, with a plurality of rollers 11 (1' d journaled thereon, as indicated in Figs. 4 and 5, of which the rollers cl and d are located near each end of the car, while the roller d is located back of the middle of the car. Said rollers each normally engage the central rail Z), whereby the bottom of the car is held in its closed position, as indicated in full lines in Fig. 4. Obviously.

said elevator-car may be constructed of any desired material and may be of any desired shape or size. As shown, however, the sides of the same are constructed of a wire-netting or other material provided with apertures therethrough. Any desired or preferred means may be used for actuating said elevator-car. As shown, however, and conveniently when the device is installed at a round-house or power-station, the same is abtuated by compressed air, as follows: E indicates a supporting-frame upon which the outer ends of the track-rails B and B rest at any desired height or angle of inclination with the ground. Located beneath the same, as shown vertically, is the cylinder F, which may be of any desired length. Said cylinder is provided with apiston-head, (indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1,) having a pistonrodf connected therewith, provided at its upper end with a sheave. The upper end. of-the piston-rod when the piston-head is at the upper end of said cylinder extends to near the top of said frame E.

F indicates an air pipe communicating with the cylinder at the upper end thereof and extending upwardly and along the rail B into close proximity with the side of the cinder-pit, Where the same is connected with a pipe f leading to any convenient source of supplying air under pressure, such as is commonly found at round-houses or the like, comprising a drum containing air under pres sure. An operating-valve f is connected in said pipe adjacent to the cinder-pit, in position to be actuated by an operator standing near the pit. A line or other flexible connection leads from the front of the car through a sheave e, secured on the top of said frame, through the sheave on the upper end of the piston-rod f, and is secured on said frame, so that when the piston-rod is moved downwardly the line is pulled downwardly therewith, thereby pulling the car along the track into dumping position.

The operation is as follows: .The elevatorcar having been filled and it being desired to dump the same into the receiving-car O, the valve f is actuated, thereby admitting air to the cylinder F and forcing the piston downwardly. This draws the bight of the line downwardly su'fiicient for the car to assume the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. When the roller or truck d reaches the curved portion of the center rail b, the bottom of the car opens downwardly, as indicated, and the load supported thereon slides into the'receiving-car C, said bottomof the car being "at that time supported on the curved end'of-the rail b-by the truck or roller 01.

The load having been deposited, the air is permitted to escape from the-top of said cylinder through the valve f or otherwise, whereupon the car moves downwardly, the weight thereof serving to lift the piston sufficiently to permit the elevator-car to return to its filling position in the cinder-pit. As said car moves down the track the truck d glides upwardly over the curved end of the rail 17, thereby lifting the bottom D until the truck 01 engages and serves over said curved portion, with the effect of entirely closing the bottom. Obviously it is not essential that the car D be constructed with a one-piece bottom. Fig. 6 illustrates a car in which the bottom consists of two oppositely-hinged sections of unequal width, each provided witha roller at the inner end and at the outer end. The longer bottom section is hinged at the rear end of the car. Toggle-arms d are attached to each section adjacent to the meeting edges thereof, with the connected ends projecting upwardly within the car. When said car is in the dumping position, the bottom assumes the position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 6, with the front roller of the larger bottom-section supported on the curved portion of the rail 1). (Also shown in dotted lines.) The car having dumped, the rearward movement of theelevator-car causes the front end of the larger section to move upwardly as the roller serves over the same, the shorter section being also pushed upwardly by the toggle-arms, thus closing the car-bottom when all of said rollers are supported upon the rail 1), as before described.

Obviously a device embodying my invention can be used for many purposes besides elevating cinders from a cinder-pit, and a very convenient use maybe found in excavating. The same may be employed, if preferred,with a steam-shovel whenever it may be desirable to dump the material excavated by the shovel at a distance from the excavation. If preferred, other means than compressed air may be used to actuate the car. So, too, if preferred, a car may be constructed having a plurality of movable or hinged sections pivoted along its length, supported normally upon a rail or rails, which hold the same in their closed position, and, obviously, many details of construction may be modified without departing from the principle of my invention.

I claim as my invention- 1. Acarprovided with a downwardly-operatin g bottom hinged at one end thereof, a plurality of rollers journaled centrally on said bottom and adapted to normally engage a supporting-rail acting to hold said bottom in a closed position.

2. A car comprising apertured side walls, a downwardly-opening bottom hinged at one end thereof, a plurality of rollers journaled centrally on said bottom and adaptedto normally engage an immovable support acting to hold said bottom in a closed position.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination with a car having rigid side and end walls of a downwardly-opening bottom hinged at the rear end thereof, a plurality of rollers disposed on said bottom centrally and longitudinally thereof, a track on which the car is supported, a relatively short rail intermediate of the track-rail upon which said rollers engage and which acts to support said bottom in a closed position said track being curved from a horizontal to an inclined position, a downwardlyturned portion at the outer extremity of the said intermediate rail at which point the bottom of said car opens and permits the contents of said car to slide outwardly.

4c. The combination in a pit-elevator of an inclined track leading from the pit, a track beneath the outer end of said inclined track adapted to support a receiving-car, an elevator-car movable along said inclined track, rigid side and end walls on said car, a downwardly-open bottom hinged at its rear end to the rear end of the car, an intermediate rail terminating in a downward end above the receiving-car,rollers disposed longitudinally on the bottom of the elevator-car and adapted to engage said intermediate rail, said rollers being so disposed that one or more of the same remain at all times in engagement with the intermediate rail and means for moving the elevator-car along its track to dumping position.

'5. In a device of the class described, the

combination with a railway cinder-pit of a transverse passage opening thereto, inclined track-rails extending transversely upwardly and outwardly from the cinder-pit, an elevator-car thereon, apertured side walls on said car, a downwardly-opening bottom hinged'at the rear end of the car, rollers disposed 1011- gitudinally thereon, a relatively short rail located between said transverse track-rails and adapted normally to be engaged by said rollers and to support said bottom in its closed position thereby, the outer end of said intermediate rail being downwardly curved, means operated by pneumatic pressure for moving I 5 the car outwardly and upwardlyfrom the cinder-pit to a dumping position at the end of said intermediate rail at whichpoint the bot tom of said car drops downwardly with one of the rollers thereof still engaging said rail.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM ROBERTSON.

In presence of- J. H. GLENDENING, LoUIs J DELSON. 

